AP Human Geography
Advanced Placement Human Geography is an Advanced Placement social studies course that studies human geography. The test is administered by College Board.
This college-level course introduces students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth's surface. Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analyses to analyze human social organization and its environmental consequences. They also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice.
Exam
The AP Human Geography Exam consists of two sections. The first section consists of 60 multiple choice questions and the second section consists of 3 free-response questions. The sections are 60 and 75 minutes long, respectively. It is not necessary to answer the free-response questions in essay form; instead, points are awarded on certain key words, examples, and other vital aspects.Curriculum
The curriculum consists of informational book-related homework, which often requires students to strive to learn information independently. The curriculum teaches about diffusion, human traits, religion, and population clusters.The topics covered by the exam are as follows:
| Topic | Percent |
| Geography: Its Nature and Perspective | 5-10% |
| Population and Migration | 13-17% |
| Cultural Patterns and Processes | 13-17% |
| Political Organization of Space | 13-17% |
| Agriculture and Rural Land Use | 13-17% |
| Industrialization and Economic Development | 13-17% |
| Cities and Urban Land Use | 13-17% |
Grade distribution
The exam was first held in 2001. Grade distributions for the Human Geography scores since 2010 were:| Score | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| 5 | 9.7% | 11.7% | 12.5% | 12.0% | 11.0% | 12.2% | 11.9% | 10.6% | 12.9% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| 4 | 16.5% | 18.2% | 19.5% | 20.3% | 20.0% | 20.5% | 20% | 17.4% | 19.8% | 18.3% | 22.1% |
| 3 | 20.6% | 21.2% | 20.4% | 20.7% | 21.1% | 21.1% | 19.8% | 21% | 21.6% | 20.1% | 24.5% |
| 2 | 17.4% | 17.5% | 17.8% | 18.6% | 18.4% | 16.7% | 19.2% | 17.2% | 17% | 16.9% | 10.9% |
| 1 | 35.7% | 31.5% | 29.8% | 28.3% | 29.5% | 29.5% | 29.1% | 33.8% | 28.7% | 33.9% | 30.9% |
| Mean | 2.47 | 2.61 | 2.67 | 2.69 | 2.64 | 2.69 | 2.66 | 2.54 | 2.71 | 2.55 | |
| Number of Students | 68,397 | 93,941 | 98,679 | 114,361 | 136,448 | 159,609 | 184,663 | 199,756 | 216,783 |